Monthly Archives: June 2015

Review: Kat Von D Esperanza Palette

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Kat Von D Esperanza Palette

Hi Makeup Geeks! Today I wanted to review with you the Kat Von D Esperanza palette to see how it compares with the Spellbinding Palette I fell in love with during the holidays. So lets get started!

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 Packaging

Designed by Kat Von D herself, this limited edition palette is simply extraordinary!  This palette is made of a sturdy cardboard construction with a magnetic latch, small enough to take on the go, however I don’t recommend it for traveling. Containing 8 beautiful shades this palette is clearly labeled and opens to reveal a small mirror, however this palette doesn’t stay open, making it very difficult to use the mirror inside. True to the Kat Von D style, this palette is adorned with sugar skulls and flowers in vivid spring and summer shades. The palette itself comes in a sleek cardboard sleeve decorated in the same unique fashion.

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 Product

This palette contains 8 shadows, 2 glitter shades, 2 mattes, 1 pearl, 2 sparkles, and the transforming eye shadow. The concept of the palette is layering shades to create new and exciting looks each time you use it. Included in the palette is the “transformer” shade, used on top of the other shades to “transform” them into new and exciting colors. The majority of these eye shadows wore very well and were easy to work with, as the over all wear time was well over 7 hours with no fading or creasing.

Top Row L to R

Shades:

  • Selena – Cool purple with silver glitter. When swatched this color seems vivid and bright, but when applied it seemed somewhat faded. The sparkles moved quite a bit while I wore this, and there was some fall out but not as much as I expected. It wore well and lasted for over 6 hours.
  • Dayglo (Transformer Shade) – Slightly green tinted white shade. This can be used on it’s own, although it will need an off -white or white base to really enhance the color. As a transformer shade, it transforms the colors giving them extra dimension and a unique finish. It can however be quite powdery, so it’s best to use carefully and pat the color on. I loved using this shadow over Placebo and Selena!
  • Galore #2 – A sister to Galore #1 in the Kat Von D Spellbinding palette, this shadow is a very pigmented soft peach with small pieces of glitter, while Galore #1 was more sheer. This shadow was easy to blend and work with.
  • Placebo – This is a medium coral matte shade that is very pigmented, and applied smoothly and evenly. While it can be hard to find matte shades that deliver both great color payoff and a creamy consistency, this shadow has both.

Kat von d Esperanza Swatches

Bottom Row L to R

  • Santeria – This shadow is a cool-toned charcoal grey with teal and silver sparkles. The pigmentation was great, it blended easy, and lasted well over 8 hours without creasing. This was anther great shade to pair with Dayglo.
  • Archangel – A light aqua with a satin finish. I wanted to love this color SO BADLY, especially with that name! When I swatched this the color payoff seemed relatively good, but when applied it sheered out to almost nothing. Even when swatching this color it was noticeably more powdery than the rest. I give this two thumbs down!
  • South – A true light matte beige, this had great pigmentation and was easy to apply and work with. For a very basic neutral shade, it’s a really great. I’m glad it was included in the palette and I found myself using this as more of a transition and blending color than anything else.
  • Dog Roses – A copper brown with gold sparkles. My other favorite from this palette, as it has great pigmentation and blends well. This shadow has less sparkle than Selena and there was much less fall out.

Overall I really like this palette. I adore the idea of a “transformer” shade that can morph your colors instantly and give you a different look! These shadows tend to be slightly more powdery than most shadows, but need to be that way for the transforming shadow to work. Is it worth the money…..YES! If you love colors and playing with shadows then I would definitely pick this up while you can. Thanks for stopping by and keep checking back for more reviews on new and exciting products!

Where to Buy: Sephora

Price: $36.00

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Burberry Bright Glow Foundation Review

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Burberry Bright Glow Foundation Review

There’s a new, juicy foundation on the block – the Bright Glow Foundation from Burberry. Good old Burbs – they do that whole fresh, natural skin thing so well and their new face base is a brilliant addition to what is already an excellent foundation line-up.

I think that I’m going to let the photos speak for themselves in this review, because I personally think that the coverage is slightly heavier than you’re led to believe from the description on the box – Flawless White-Translucency. Certainly it’s heavier than the gorgeous Fresh Glow Foundation, also Burberry, though not as comprehensive as something like Teint Idole Ultra from Lancome.

Burberry Bright Glow Foundation Review

I think that where this foundation really stands out is in its ability to properly brighten the face – it has an almost “lifting” effect on tired skin, adding radiance and just a touch of bouncy dewiness. It feels plumper than Burberry’s Fresh Glow – the formula isn’t as light or fluid, but it has that comfortable, juicy feel that’s so pleasing as the weather starts to turn colder.

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And so to the before and after pics, because I know how you all look forward to them! Above, my skin before I start in with my Bright Glow; when I zoom in later on you’ll see some redness around the nose and chin area and darkness underneath the eyes as well as the odd patch of unevenness. Overall, it has to be said, the old pregnancy skin is holding up well, but…behold the difference:

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Ooh-la-la. There’s quite a glow coming off this one. This is just a single – very light – coating, buffed in with a brush, and it seems to have that clever modern trickery that so many foundations have these days, taking the light in, diffusing it and bouncing it back so that even with a lighter coverage the skin looks completely flawless and luminous.

Close-ups for your perusal, starting with (obviously) the before:

Burberry Bright Glow Foundation Review

and ending with the after:

Burberry Bright Glow Foundation Review

Nice, nice, nice. See what I mean about coverage? I don’t think that the word Translucent really describes it that well. On Sephora, it’s touted as creating a “lightweight, luminous veil across the skin” but I’d say that the coverage far outweighs a “veil”. (On a sidenote, I’d like to point out that my lips seem to be shedding their lipline at an alarming rate. It’s becoming really difficult to put lipstick on – I don’t know where my lips end and my face starts! What if I end up with no lips?! Hold that thought…)

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In terms of finish, there’s no greasy residue whatsoever and the foundation is buildable where needed. You can see that it hasn’t quite done the job when it comes to dark circles, but it made a decent attempt and – to be fair – it was the lightest little application. I’m really impressed – maximum glow, minimum fuss, the perfect sort of “healthy skin” makeup for blustery autumn days. If you’re a fan of the Fresh Glow but would like slightly more coverage and a plumpier feel then this is absolutely worth a try.

Browse more foundation reviews…

I can only see the Bright Glow Foundation on the Burberry site at the moment – it’s £36 here – I used shade 12, Ochre Nude.

The post Burberry Bright Glow Foundation Review appeared first on A Model Recommends.

© 2016 A Model Recommends®: all opinions are my own and any sponsored or paid posts will always be very clearly marked. I accept press samples and receive product and services to review as part of my job. Outward links to retailers will usually be affiliate links. Please see here for full “about” section and disclaimer.  A Model Recommends and Ruth Crilly are registered trademarks.

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Salute with a Smile!

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February is well underway and, whether we like it or not, love is in the air! Who has captured our hearts & made us swoon this year, you ask? Our wonderful Benebabes! We wanted to give back to the strong, bold ladies in our communities so we partnered with Operation Reinvent to bring you Salute with a Smile!

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Operation Reinvent addresses the challenges faced by thousands of women as they leave military service each year and re-enter civilian life. The women are provided with professional guidance, tools, & resources to guide, mentor, educate, and make the transition process smoother, less confusing and less scary for the women who sacrificed so much in serving us all.  Cool, right?

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We think so! On Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14th, Benefit will team up with Operation Reinvent to salute our lovely female veterans by offering complimentary makeuppers to women who have served or are currently serving in the military! (Just present military ID or a photo of yourself in uniform.) Appointments are encouraged, & we wanted to extend our gratitude and offer this at ALL brow bars & boutiques, so spread the word to help our fab female vets treat themselves this Valentine’s Day!

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